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Advanced Intelligence.
Tyrants Issue 39 "Power War"-Part 4- "Advanced Intelligence." Front cover- Kaan'Qsst and Master of Arms smash their foreheads into each other, as their hands grapple and the ground quakes beneath them. The issue opens from above to show the Titans surrounded by a literal circle of super-powered Militia, about forty of them, thirty foot between them and the heroes. Six Militia in the air with various mutations; feathered wings, bat wings, seemingly unassisted flight, heat propulsion, a man made of light, and a man made of smoke. Among the ones on the ground, some mutations are obvious, others less so, with black uniforms, helmets and gas masks covering many of the mutations. Also in the air, Icarus flies on his white wings of energy above the team and Dark Magician floats near him surrounded by black energy. Behind the circle of minions, Kaan'Qsst, with Bio-Luminal paicing in front of him like a guard dog, paces forward, flanked by Null and Fraud, with Yu, Master of FDisguise, at the rear of the group. Fraud hands Kaan'Qsst his megaphone. "Team Titan. My ultimate goal means no harm has to come to you. But I will not suffer attack. You are given one chance of surrender." "That's what I've been'' trying to tell them!" Cain calls out. "Your surrender is accepted Cain. My army will not harm you", Kaan'Qsst responds. "And what is your ultimate goal, eh?" Sonne responds. Yu looks around at the surrounding Militia, up at the supervillains, and finally settling on Kaan'Qsst and the Master of Disguise. He seems to ready himself for an inevitable fight, but glances across at Cain, to see his reaction. "The complete and total destruction of the Kraan Hives", Kaan'Qsst replies to Sonne. "The same Kraan Hives that are coming to enslave your very Earth. Le Qui and Cain, and your Team Titan Black will tell you. They have seen the handiwork of the Kraan Overmind, firsthand." "T...There is a difference between harm not h...having to be done to us...and w...whether or n...not it actually will..." Tonic stammers. "They'll never get past the Bastion, friend. You've no fear of that", Sonne says. "Any other terms, old boy?" Mr Psychic says. "And what, pray tell, is the Bastion?" Kaan'Qsst asks. "The Last Bastion, the Fortress standing between us and the Kraan, with the free people of the universe combined and distilled into a fighting force dedicated to defending against their advances. Earth could never come to threat with the Last Bastion around." "The same free people who had their vast planets and empires laid to waste already, you mean? But I know firsthand the plight of a race, near extinct, as is my own. But I doubt they will succeed where they have already failed. And this is why I will have an army like the universe has never seen to fight them. An army, all powered, of total loyalty to me. You can either join my army, or fall before its beginnings. Your choice. Make it now." Tonic sighs, and scrabbles tentatively to her feet "T...Tell me, Kaan'Qsst...a...and tell me honestly...how is s...surrendering to you and l...letting you control Titan City any better than us having l...left it in Blitzkrieg's control?" "I care not for your scrap of a city. All I want is to leave it, and this dimensional pcoket, so that I may gather my army. You can do what you wish with this graveyard. You can let me past, and remain here to do whatever heroics you wish, or come with me, and fight our mutual enemy. Join my army, if you would not be prisoners, I will not turn aside allies. Without me, your GSPD will inevitably fail. Humanity cannot work together in large groups, even when threatened. Even in small groups, as your dysfuncitonal group seems to prove. But under my leadership, perhaps, you can survive. Once my enemy is defeated, your mudball of a planet is of no further intetest to me." Sonne Gunn chews his lip, conflicted. He knows the Kraan to be the larger threat, said so even, but this man... and his allies... "I know...I know of your alllies...out there. They've been w...working for years...and I know the Kraan are d...dangerous, d..d..eadly to all...I....he...remembers, so well...but...I...I cannot stand aside...and let you kill people j...just for not being w..willing to think a...as you do. You w...will start a war of y...your own...weaken the world b..b.efore the Kraan even arrive by doing this..." "To put that into English..." Iron Jack quickly draws and loads a modified Winchester rifle and points it at Kaan'Qsst's face, shining the red reticule over his face "You can take your surrender offer and shove it up your..." "Kaan'Qsst!" Master of Arms calls out. "I tire of your prattle. " Kaan'qsst waves a hand. "Bring them down." "Oh come on, hardly TERRIFYING enough!" Dark Magician screams form above "Tyrants... TEAR THEM APART!" Gunn looks to his son. "Looks like you're in the fight afterall..." he looks to Yu. "Your team got a catchy battle cry yet?" Yu roars, stabbing a finger. "Kaan'Qsst!" "This guy..." Tommy sticks his head ouf of the car "Titans... TOGETHER!" "Shame one of your Tyrants is now just scraps in my head... " She stares, emptily, towards the Tyrants "Think smart, Think Tank...or lose the option to think for yourself at all." Sonne flies out of the car, rocket boosting into the air. "Son, whatever happened to staying ''in the car?" Tommy calls out. "Give me a minute, Dad... seriously, cut the apron strings." He launches a concussive blast down at Kaan'Qsst; as it is about to hit, Kaan'Qsst's skin turns to black metal, as the bolt bounces harmlessly off of him. Sonne flies back down into the car swiftly after. "Okay. That works", says Tommy. "So, turns out he's a hard nut to crack. That was a pretty hard blast." "Then better cook up some more impressive firepower then..." Crimson Caber flies into the air. "I am immune to the airborne Tyrants!" he says, flying at them like a missile. "ICARRRRRUSSSSSSSSSS!" "Buddhhhhhhhhhaaa...." Icarus yells back. Caber collides with Icarus, but Icarus folds his energy wings around him, deflecting the robot backwards and downward a few feet Cain's eyes dart over the mounting conflict, and he does another form-shifting shudder, almost doubling over as he does so. But when he stands again, he looks all but unchanged, save that his eyes are sightly more forward facing and his claws have turned to red scaled hands. He drops his weight on to his back foot, arms barely raised, waiting. He sees Le Qui whip out his revolver and then all of Team Titan disappear. Cain however still sees everyone, though they look faded as is the case for all the team. The only Titan still visible is Caber. "Where are you?" screams Icarus,m down towards where the other heroes were. Cain sees Le Qui fire at Dark Magician, as he fires repeated bullets: In a flash, as the shots begin to stream forth, Cain kicks himself forward, wings splaying from his back. As he ducks into the firing line, a bullet grazes against his wing and pings away, and he morphs hard scales over his wings to withstand the rest of the impact "Hey... you treacherous- now I know why didn't get on... merde..." says Le Qui "Don't worry, old ally, old friend, I'm'' far'' from done yet*." Cain smirks, before shooting his gaze over his shoulder "Cain...what are you doing!?" Tonic asks. Mr Psychic first presses a button on his cane to bring up a barrier of energy, then adjusts his monocle and presses a button underneath. "I daresay these troops look rather under-rested. Perhaps I can aid that." The monocle whirls round and round with a psychedelic glow as 12 of the Militia on the ground looking in his direction all collapse, asleep. "You really want to know, Doctor Stevens?.." Cain says to Atomic. Iron Jack activates his back-mouned jetpack and flies up into the air. "Please...I...I don't want to fight you, Cain!" Atomic responds. Iron Jack points his Winchester at Dark Magician, swinging it between and Cain and him, then to Icarus. "Which one... oh screw it..." he takes apart the rifle and slams some other pieces onto it. and then fires multiple shots, releasing his jets as he falls back down shooting, and lands on his feet, kicking up dust and rubble. Cain flies back and forth with his armoured wings, deflecting each shot "Somebody bring that traitor down!" Jack calls out "Hes ruining my shots!" He lands with a small shockwave before Tonic, rising in a slow cliché to tower over her a moment "Does it look like I am fighting, miss?" Cain asks, with tiny hisses of smoke coming off his wings from the shots "Then explain...please!" Tonic calls out. "Screw this... Cain is trying to stop the fighting, but now he's just gonna get us killed..." says Tommy Gunn inside Lightning. "Hate this. Lightning... adapt. Cut-Throat Cain. Non-lethal measures." "Dad, you can't!" "Kaan'Qsst made himself clear, he's either gonna have us slaves again, or kill us, and Cain's just helping him do that!" Cain sighs deeply before Atomic. "I've tried, to explain, Miss Stevens. I've spent my whole life, trying to explain." The car alters shape, as a series of targeting lasers dot across Cain's body "Static discharge ready." "We don't need ''heroes. It's as useless a label as villain. It makes us-" Cain quickly turns his head, aware of danger. Suddenly, Cain's body is riddled with an electric shock. Cain spasms, screeching, arms and wings twitching from the pain of the jolt, lit up in blazing blue. There is a plume of smoke around him as the energy cuts off, and a slow panting is heard as it begins to clear, showing him start to shift out of Shockasaurus form, having weathered the worst of the impact. "It makes us think we're better than we are. That they, are worse than they are." he says, glaring down the path of fire at Gunn Sr.. "You expect me to roll over and lie down for an alien warlord, two thieves, one a manipulative shape-shfiter, another a mind rapist, some crazy embodiment of chaos and a nutty power vampire? **** off, Cain, they aren't anything ''but villains. You proved yourself otherwise, I thought... but maybe not. Now you're protecting them. Whose side are you ****ing on?" Gunn Sr yells back Yu stabs fingers at those he speaks to, loud and clear. "Sonne, make your father see sense! Mr. Psychic, keep them at bay! Atomic, do what you know is right!" He narrows his eyes at Cain. "I'm going to put a stop to this." With that, he slaps his teleporter, disappearing and reappearing infront on Kaan'Qsst. Kaan'Qsst folds his arms. "Ah, it is the one who likes to scream my name. " he leans in "if you have come to deafen me, you may be disappointed." "I have something I have to ask you, Kaan'Qsst." Yu flicks a thumb over his nose. "He speaks. Go on." "What gives you the right to lead ''all ''in the fight against the Kraan?" "Because I am Kaan'Qsst... Kraan Destroyer. It is my purpose to bring an end to the Kraan, that of, I and my siblings. But they are not here, and I cannot do it alone... so I will have my army. But I do not need all. I simply need you to get out of my krizz't way! Release us from this dimensional prison, and then there is no need for conflict. I would rather not waste time and allies on your morally jumped up group of so called heroes." "Only if you swear to work alongside your allies, not try to control them. Are you a tyrant, a warlord, Kaan'Qsst?" Yu juts his chin up at the taller being. "I am not controlling anyone. One of my allies controls these minions... this is a temporary measure until my army is ready. I am no warlord. I am simply doing what my programming commands. What Hephaeustus demanded of us. You can either abide that, or oppose it. I care not either way, human. You are not what I am here to destroy, but here me when i say this..." he leans in "Any who stand in my way will die." Yu leans closer as well. "Fine. Stop this meaningless battle, then." "Very welll.... how to address them... I suppose the name to which you and the Dark Magican referred will suit... TYRANTS... CEASE THIS AGRESSIVE ACTION! A CEASE-FIRE HAS BEEN CHOSEN!" Icarus stares at the Crimson Caber. "Cease fire..." He looks at Kaan'Qsst and the now visible and audible Yu. Yu turns his back on Kaan'Qsst to watch. "CEASE FIRE!!!?" Icarus looks back to the Crimson Caber. "These Titans have Society wretches with them... WE HAD A DEAL!" He clasps his hands around the Crimson Caber's head. "Your body may be a machine..." "ICARUS! STOP! THEY WILL LET US RETURN TO-!" Kaan'Qsst booms "But within you... like the Balthazar... a form of pure fire... and the Balthzar's power was so..." Icarus continues. "ICARUSSSS!" Kaan'Qsst calls. Yu glances over his shoulder up at Kaan'Qsst. "Delicious..." Icarus finishes. Crimson Caber screams out as orange energy pours of of his body into Icarus as he flies above the Titans. "Yessss.... YESSSS!" The Crimson Caber's body falls at Cain's feet, lifeless, the spirit of The Red, gone. Yu looks back, and balks. "Whose side am I on..?" Cain asks, voice wavering in the middle. "Peace. I was going to say, peace." he says, looking down at Red's visor, then slowing looking up to Icarus. "But I have to admit... I am growing... ''very ''tired... of watching my friends, die." "...He...he just..." Atomic stutters. "KAAN'QSST!" TITANS! SOCIETY LAP-DOGS!" IcaruS screams down. The final page is of all the heroes looking up, as now red wings of energy stretch from Icarus's back, eclipsing the dark shadow of Dark Magcian behind him. "Now you know what to do, Icarus..." the Dark Magician whispers. "HERE IS WHAT I THINK OF YOUR... CEASE-FIRE!" End of issue